Epic WTF1 Road Trip Challenge

Racing the F1 paddock from Zandvoort to Monza

For millions of fans around the world, Sunday is a day dedicated to Formula 1. But to make it possible to see the world’s fastest drivers go head-to-head, fighting for victories, podium places and world championship points, the entire Formula 1 championship must first be transported to each circuit. To meet the demands of the F1 calendar, the whole operation has to happen in the fastest, efficient and safest way possible.

Triple Header Challenge

There are numerous logistical challenges that DHL and F1 face throughout the season. One of which is the numerous double and triple headers which involve back-to-back races in different countries, just one week after the other.

The first triple header of the 2021 season took place between Spa, Zandvoort and Monza. This was only possible thanks to precise time management. A very strict timetable ensures that F1’s precious cargo arrives at its next destination within 24 hours to rebuild the paddock. The dismantling of the paddock begins as soon as the race finishes on Sunday afternoon, and everything is set up and ready for the next race by Thursday at the latest.

This is something our friends at WTF1, Matt and Tommy, were about to find out for themselves as they set upon the DHL Challenge from Zandvoort to Monza.

DHL Challenge: 1 parcel or 8 elephants?

That’s right! Each Formula 1 team’s equipment is the equivalent weight of 8 elephants! But we didn’t want to task WTF1’s Matt and Tommy with such a heavy load. Instead Simon, our “DHL Taskmaster,” asked they deliver a very important package to Monza, just 1,000km away. Not only were they tasked with delivering it safely, they were faced with a series of challenges along the way.

One of which was a DHL Fastest Lap contest in our DHL Innovation Centre. The loser with the slowest time on the race simulator had to put in an extra hour’s stint behind the wheel of our DHL van on their way to the finish line!

After completing the challenges, the real question was did they reach Monza’s Royal Park in their DHL delivery van quicker than the 28 DHL trucks used to transport the rest of Formula 1’s freight to Italy?

Let’s just say that with such long stops, the two of them would never win a DHL Fastest Pit Stop Award...

By now, Matt and Tommy have had enough time to recover from their epic journey, but the season still has a long way to go for Formula 1 and DHL. Overseas races, a Mexico–Brazil–Qatar triple header and a brand-new race circuit means many fresh logistical challenges lie ahead for Simon and the DHL Motorsports team.

And if they need an entertaining way to unwind after their next championship delivery, watching this Blooper video of Matt and Tommy’s experiences is just the thing: